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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · vault · pit · dip · bay · court · calf · ground

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. ground — crushed
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. ground — the earth
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pit — in a race
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. court — of law
  13. ground — a position
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. court — for sport
  23. vault — a safe
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com